CPT 29425: Lower Leg Cast Application with Walking Accommodation
Medicare pays $84 and commercial payers pay $273 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 29425 describes application of a lower leg cast for fractures of the tibia and/or fibula or severe ankle sprain, where the clinician forms the cast bottom to accept a cast shoe or applies a footplate with a rubber heel to permit ambulation when weight bearing is allowed; service type: cast application/immobilization, typical site of service: emergency department, orthopaedic clinic, or ambulatory surgery/urgent care setting.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 29425 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 29425 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare’s mean rate of $83.5 sits well below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $273.5, indicating a sizable gap between public fee schedules and this commercial benchmark. That divergence highlights how reimbursement levels for CPT 29425 differ by payer type: Medicare aligns near the lower end of the national spectrum while BUCA represents a substantially higher commercial average.
Looking at dispersion using the interquartile range (P75–P25), Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest spread with a range of $142.0 ($486.3–$332.3), suggesting greater variability in contracted rates. Aetna and UnitedHealth Group are relatively tighter, with ranges of $52.9 ($81.6–$33.0) and $71.8 ($151.8–$79.4) respectively. Cigna’s IQR of $92.1 ($171.0–$78.6) sits between these extremes.